The Dog’s Favourite Coffee Shop

I love a coffee shop that I can take Jinx along to. And she loves any place where she can lay in the warm, people watch and have tonnes of fuss and food. Stripes in Woburn Sands is all of these things and more.

A tiny little cafe inside of a bike shop, I am fully aware that Stripes doesn’t look like much from the outside. But I am here to tell you that the inside is a different story. Small coffee tables surrounded by a mish-mash of comfortable chairs fill one half of the shop, and usually so does an array of cake-eating and coffee-drinking locals, along with other cyclists, runners and dog walkers from slightly further afar (because it’s worth the trip).

We love Stripes for a multitude of reasons, the main three being that: it allows dogs inside so Jinx doesn’t have to miss out on the fun and stay at home, it is so cosy and homely, and it does some seriously yummy gluten free treats for yours truly to enjoy. My personal favourite is the carrot cake, which I believe is dairy free as well (not that you would know by tasting it). Although I know a new gluten free chocolate brownie has also been created recently, which I am pretty excited to try out.

The carrot cake is moist (as much as that word makes me cringe, I couldn’t think of another) and sweet, although not so sweet that I wouldn’t have it for breakfast, which I have done many times. It’s also the perfect post dog walk treat.

Between them I think my parents and boyfriend have worked their way through pretty much everything else that has come out of Stripes’ kitchen, and I have yet to hear them complain about a thing. Luke’s favourite is definitely the soft and gooey chocolate chip cookie, which he generally pairs with a hot chocolate for the full, chocaholic experience, whereas my parents have more savoury tastes; they rave about the roasted veg panini and cheese scones.

I will also mention that Stripes is totally nut free which, teamed with their dairy and gluten free offerings, makes it a haven for any of us allergy sufferers! So, it’s a dream for any foodie (or hot drink lover, there are some very fussy coffee drinkers in my family and Stripes serves up a drink to please each and every one of them), but the goodness doesn’t stop there.

As I have already mentioned, Stripes is dog friendly, so you get to stroke all sorts of cute and fluffy faces while you enjoy your coffee. The owners are also seriously lovely and chatty, which can really make a place in my opinion. It’s also located close to some fab dog walking, running and cycling locations, making it the perfect stop-off for an after exercise drink, snack, or lunch.

Now personally I am not into bikes, I haven’t ridden one since I was about 13 and I have no intentions to any time soon. If cycling is your thing, though, the half of Stripes that is not a cafe is full to the brim with some really gorgeous-looking bikes and accessories, although I will admit that my opinion on these things are purely based on the colours that they are offered in.

I am aware that this post could be viewed as me massively kissing up to this place, but my parents visit Stripes every weekend without fail, and I join them when I am at home, so I reckon it’s justified. I hope you enjoyed this post, and maybe even that I have encouraged you to give them a try, too!